Frequently Asked Questions

1. I read that mobile phones can cause cancer. Is that true?

Although there have been over
12 000 scientific tests in the matter up to 2008,
there is still no convincing scientific evidence that mobile phones cause any
kind of tumor in the brain or any other part of the body. It is the generally
accepted scientific opinion today that low-performance,
non-ionizing radio waves are unable to modify the genetic composition of any
matter.

2. And what is your opinion of other health risks?

Independent scientific
institutes and associations worldwide analyze and publish the latest research
findings. It is the generally accepted opinion of these experts that there is
no convincing scientific evidence that the use of mobile phones represent a
risk of any kind to human health. However,
the T-Mobile group continues to support research on the theme so that, in harmony with its corporate social
responsibility, it can always bring
the latest scientific results to its customers and citizens.

3. How can we know that these scientific experiments are
reliable?

Well-tested, complex and sensitive research methods are being
applied for modeling health risks. All these methods have already been used
during other health and other area research. Health limits are based on the
findings of independent research institutes and have been ordered by states and
governments. Research findings are regularly checked by international
organizations such as the ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing
Radiation Protection) and WHO (World Health Organization).

4. I live near a base station. Does it mean I am exposed to some
health risk?

Contrary to public opinion
the power of radio signals that can be experienced in the vicinity of base
stations is typically much lower than even the strictest internationally
proposed limit. It is only in immediate proximity of the transmitting aerial
that the radiation dose may be higher than the limit. That is why mobile
service providers do everything within their power to prevent access to such
proximity areas by unauthorized persons. Aerials are typically mounted on the
top of a (usually 6-meter) high pole on the top of tall buildings.

The GSM base stations operate
at low radiation rates so that the interference with neighboring cells is the
smallest, as interference can
negatively affect the quality of calls. The performance density generating at
the population from GSM base station transmissions typically amounts to less
than 1% of the international limit values. Frequently traditional FM radio and
TV signal radiation constitutes a higher performance density than that
generated by the mobile network.

5. My friend has a hearing problem,
and uses a hearing aid. Can he use a mobile phone?

Most of the hearing aids are
immune to interference from GSM telephones at a distance of 2 meters. The latest
hearing aids are insensitive to frequency interference even at close range. The
sensitivity of a hearing aid to interference basically depends on the conditions
of use the manufacturer has designed the equipment for.

If the hearing aid does
interfere with the mobile phone,
there are several options:

6. Why does one encounter so many limitations on the use of
mobile phones in hospitals?

Some electronic medical
instruments may interfere with mobile phones at close range. If the mobile
phone and the medical instrument are at a distance of over 2 meters from each other, the chance of interference is close to
zero.
Therefore hospitals usually indicate the places where mobile phones can be
used.

7. Is my mobile phone going to affect my pacemaker in any way?

It depends mainly on the
model and brand, as pacemakers
represent a very broad range of products. Some pacemakers have been equipped
with protection against all sorts of radio waves and thus they are immune to them, while others have not. We recommend that
you
discuss this matter with your cardiologist.

If after all this you still
hesitate to use your mobile phone,
we recommend that you observe the following rules:

There should always be a distance of at least 15 centimeters
between the pacemaker and the telephone.

Do not store the telephone on your chest, or in a bag hanging on your chest.

Carefully study the instructions of your pacemaker and
your telephone.

8. My car is furnished with an on-board computer. Does making
calls while driving interfere with the on-board computer? Can it cause any
damage?

According to the tests
performed by vehicle manufacturers mobile phones do not cause any interference
with air-bags, automatic brake
systems or tempomats (cruise control). Audio systems of some vehicles, however,
may be sensitive to the mobile phone,
thus an incoming or outgoing call may briefly influence the quality of the
sound of a radio broadcast or a tape being played.

Use of a mobile phone while
driving is allowed only with an amplifier. Please do not write SMEs or use the
telephone without an amplifier.

9. Why am I not allowed to use my mobile phone on board a plane?

It is the general practice in
aviation that all electronic equipment emitting radio frequencies that has not
been tested by the aircraft manufacturer for interference must be switched off
during take-off. Huge amounts of electronic equipment are sold globally. It is
not possible to have them all tested for interference by manufacturers of
aircraft.

Experiments on the
possibility of using the telephone in flight are underway in Europe and the USA, however several technological and regulatory
issues need to be addressed before the findings can be implemented in practice.

10. Is it possible that some people are much more sensitive to
radio waves than others?

A few people describe
symptoms like headaches, fatigue, nausea,
concentration difficulties that they ascribe to the impact of radio emission by
mobile phones and wireless networks. WHO has looked into several
such cases and reached the conclusion that,
although the symptoms are manifested by these people,
there is no scientific evidence whatsoever to prove that the symptoms are
related to electro-magnetic radiation. Furthermore,
WHO also drew attention to the need to consider the whole clinical status in
such cases.

11. What is your view about telephoning while driving?

Road safety is indispensable
in all cases. Mobile phones, therefore, must be used responsibly. The telecommunications
industry has developed many devices that help to reduce the risk of telephoning
while driving. We recommend the use of a professional amplifier. Having pointed out the above, T-Mobile is of the opinion that if we are involved
in a difficult traffic situation (e.g. traffic jam),
or the conversation becomes unduly long,
or perhaps our mental state does not allow us to continue driving safely, we should if possible postpone the conversation
until later. When traveling abroad, always take into consideration the target country’s
legislation concerning telephoning while driving.

12. I have heard that the use of a mobile phone might cause filling
stations to blow up. Is that true?

In its report of 2005, the Office of Road Safety in Australia examined 243 incidents of
fire at filling stations. In none of the cases was the fire caused by a
telecommunications device. They were due in most cases to static electricity
caused by human, typically synthetic, clothing. Nevertheless,
whenever there is a sign prohibiting the use of mobile phones at the filling
station, the rules of the company
concerned must be observed.

13. What safety standards are applicable to mobile phones and base
stations?

Several national and
international offices of standards have already worked out safety standards for
mobile phones and base stations.

Most European states use the
same standards for defining limit values. Until its accession to the EU in 2004,Hungary
had been using stricter East-European limit values; however, effective of January 1,
2004 the limit values adopted by WHO and used in Western
Europe for a long time have been applicable.

The majority of EU member
states accept the EU’s recommendations of 1999. If there is a local exposure, where according to the EU or the ICNIRP reference
levels cannot be applied, only a
basic limit is used, and practically
there is a complete similarity among EU member states. This means that the
basic limit of 2 W/kg applicable to mobile phones is accepted in every country.

14. How do we know whether the 3G technologies and the new ones yet
to come out in the future are safe?

When designing the 3G
technology, network developers
(NOKIA, ERICSSON, MOTOROLA,
etc.) have been guided by the need to comply with all the limits set in the
valid regulations. The same will apply to the future,
when the suppliers of mobile networks will implement the LTE networks that so
far exist on paper only.

According to a statement made
by the Communications Authority of Australia the average emission value of a 3G
base station is one tenth of that of a taxi’s two-way CB radio. In addition, 3G handsets always monitor changes in the power
of
circuit signals and deliver only the minimum radiation output.

15. I have heard that mobile phones attract lightning. Is that
possible?

We are unaware of any
scientific research on the connection of mobile technology and lightning. Those
who venture into the open when there is lightning,
expose themselves to being struck by lightning with or without a mobile phone.
It is especially dangerous to stay in flat and open areas or on open
elevations. You should try to find shelter in such weather conditions.

16. Is it safe for children to use a mobile phone?

According to the current
opinion of the WHO, mobile phones
guarantee the highest safety to everybody given the current safety limits. In
February 2004 the Health Committee of the Netherlands published a statement
saying that there is no scientific evidence that it is necessary to establish
lower safety limits for children using mobile phones. A mobile phone can even
contribute considerably to a child’s safety by enabling them to contact their
parents in an emergency. However,
the mobile phone is not a toy; therefore it is important that parents have some
kind of control over their child’s mobile communication.

17. What is SAR?

"SAR" is the
abbreviation for specific absorption rate,
which equals the energy one kilogram of the human body absorbs in the
electro-magnetic field, measured in
W/kg. This quantity is used to describe high frequency electro-magnetic
impacts.

Under the influence of
electro-magnetic radiation the tissues warm up and,
if the output is high, they may be
damaged. Brain tissues and eyes are the most sensitive to radiation. For mobile
telephones the SAR limit applies to the maximum value of the average absorption
of the whole human body, and the
amount of the energy consumed by 1 or 10 grams of human tissue.

The value adopted by the
ICNIRP for the whole body is 0.08 W/kg,
and 2 W/kg for 10 grams.
SAR values of the handsets being sold are well below the allowed SAR value.